Henrietta's Wish eBook

Pouncing upon Alexander, she drew him a little behind
the others, and was presently engaged in an eager
low-voiced conference, apparently persuading him to
something much against his inclination, but Henrietta
was not sufficiently happy to bestow much curiosity
on the subject. All her thoughts were with Fred,
and she had not long been in Church before all her
mother’s fears seemed to have passed to her.
Her mother had recovered her serenity, and was able
to trust her boy in the hands of his Heavenly Father,
while Henrietta, haunted by the remembrance of many
a moral tale, was tormenting herself with the expectation
of retribution, and dwelling on a fancied figure of
her brother lifted senseless out of the water, with
closed eyes and dripping hair.

CHAPTER IX.

With all her faults, Queen Bee was a good-natured,
generous little thing, and it was not what every one
would have done, when, as soon as she returned from
Church, she followed her father to the study, saying,
“Papa, you must not be displeased with Fred,
for he was very much plagued, and he only had just
begun when you came.”

“The other boys had been teasing him?”

“Dick had been laughing at him, saying his mamma
would not let him go on the ice, and that, you know,
was past all bearing. And honestly, it was my
fault too; I laughed, not at that joke, of course,
for it was only worthy of Dick himself, but at poor
Fred’s own disconsolate looks.”

“Was not his case unpleasant enough, without
your making it worse?”

“Of course, papa, I ought to have been more
considerate, but you know how easily I am run away
with by high spirits.”

“And I know you have the power to restrain them,
Beatrice. You have no right to talk of being
run away with, as if you were helpless.”

“I know it is very wrong; I often think I will
check myself, but there are many speeches which, when
once they come to my lips, are irresistible, or seem
so. However, I will not try to justify myself;
I know I was to blame, only you must not be angry
with Fred, for it really did seem rather unreasonable
to keep him there parading about with Henrietta and
Jessie, when the ice was quite safe for everybody
else.”

“I am not angry with him, Bee; I cannot but
be sorry that he gave way to the temptation, but there
was so much to excuse him, that I shall not show any
further displeasure. He is often in a very vexatious
position for a boy of his age. I can imagine
nothing more galling than these restraints.”

“And cannot you—­” said Beatrice,
stopping short.

“Speak to your aunt? I will not make her
miserable. Anything she thinks right she will
do, at whatever cost to herself, and for that very
reason I will not interfere. It is a great deal
better for Fred that his amusement should be sacrificed
to her peace, than her peace to his amusement.”

“Yet surely this cannot go on for life,”
said Beatrice, as if she was half afraid to hazard
the remark.